Not a major storm but another of those short, intense summer storms we seem to be getting throughout summer these days - lasted about 10 minutes with lots of wind, lightining and about 6mm of rain. The storm did raise a question though; when caught out in a paddock (feeding cattle) and having lightning dancing around you, do you stay in the (tall metal) tractor in the open, move it under a tree or do you get out of this potential lightning rod? I certainly was not going to make a run for the shed, this would involve getting out to open steel gates attached to steel posts attached to long steel fences purposely designed to be efficient electrical conductors.

If you are in an enclosed vehicle of any kind (like a tractor with an enclosed cab), stay in it. If it gets hit by lightning, the lightning will stay on the exterior of the vehicle, and you will be safe.

On the other hand, if you are in an open vehicle, such as an unenclosed tractor, a convertible with the top down, etc., you are in danger. The seat material doesn't matter much.

You're right KL, it's called a "Faraday Cage".
I use exactly the same for my amateur radio as my radio room is an old caravan that I built a shed around. It's the continuous aluminium body of the caravan though (not the shed) that works as a Faraday cage, it keeps a lot of radio interference out so that the only radio signals coming in are those I want through the aerial leads.

Tractors and cars should be doubly OK because they are insulated from the ground by rubber tyres, unless you are ploughing of course, and planes which are fairly regularly struck by lightning, but I don't think there have ever been any fatalities.

Green Aura wrote:That was the point I was making, albeit rather flippantly - I still think not having direct contact to metal e.g via an old-fashioned tractor seat might be quite important though.

No you missed the important bit GA, inside a Faraday Cage you are protected from lightning because the electricity flows over the outside of the cage but doesn't get inside.
It doesn't matter if the tractor seat is cast iron (like they used to be) or the most luxurious memory foam (as I'm sure Weedo's is ), if it's inside the cage it's OK.
Just like the metal parts of aircraft seats don't kill you when the plane gets hit by lightning.

Odsox wrote:
Tractors and cars should be doubly OK because they are insulated from the ground by rubber tyres

A lightning strike is typically around 3,000,000 volts per metre. A rubber tire is not even going to slow it down.

Agreed, but the downward negative stroke is attracted to upward earthed positive strokes which are less likely to occur from insulated vehicles, it will strike the path of least resistance like a tree or even just the ground.

Odsox wrote:
Tractors and cars should be doubly OK because they are insulated from the ground by rubber tyres

A lightning strike is typically around 3,000,000 volts per metre. A rubber tire is not even going to slow it down.

Agreed, but the downward negative stroke is attracted to upward earthed positive strokes which are less likely to occur from insulated vehicles, it will strike the path of least resistance like a tree or even just the ground.

Whoa! I didn't mean to start an argument (but it is interesting) I asked myself the question while in the tractor in the middle of the storm (I opted for staying in it but moving to the most open area available) These storms are becoming much more common around here.
Odsox - you are welcome to sit in my tractors' luxury seat and plough for a few hours - I doubt your glutes or back will thank you though (it does need replacing) I do also have a tractor with a metal seat (not going); a ferguson 13 of early 1950's vintage.